Springfield daily republic. [volume] (Springfield, O. [Ohio]) 1887-1888, 1887-02-11
on THE MISSISSIPPI.
TIMES WHeNG eERRIllAS MADE LIFE
UNPLEASANT ON STEAMERS.

Confederate Fartisans Fishing for Fed
eraI Gudgeons-Steamboat Passenger.
| Under Fir.-How tn. Robbery Of
Widow Was Peremptorny stopped.
One of the amusementS of the period was
to take run ON a steamer up TO Cairo Ii
was generally an exciting amusement. The
banks wera haunted by guerrilaS, who some
times carried with them a six pound gun,
| and who quite often made life on the steamer
unpleasant They were Skillful fishermen.
| these guerrila>: they angled for Fetcrals, and
they employed the most tempting halt. One
IF the forms Of bait used was cotton. A
| boat pushing along the stream would spy a
half dozen or dozen bales of cotton piled on
the bank. and would at once steer for it with
a view Of buying it if there was an owner, or
cribhing or "contiscating" it if nobody was
| in the vicinity. The steamer would run
alongside, throw out the gangplank and get
ready To tie up to some tree, when there
would suddenly be heard shrill wells. vol
ley of mu>ketry woud follow, and a whooo-
ing crowd of butternuts would board the
boat, go through" the safe and the pasSen-
gers. take everything valuable and portable,
and then deCamp
| Many Yankee gudgeon bit at this cotton
bait and was hoo. ed beyond rescue In time
the cotton hunter grew more cautious. He
4 Ell yed very gingei v toward the tempting dis
| play: he came up just touching the nose Of
! the boat to the landing without throwing
! out the gangplan'S aS to I've ready Ia sheer
off at the slightest sign of danger. Dne has
often seen wary trout thus approach a
TEMPTING worm ready IN turn tail and scud
away m case OF anything suspicious or the
sign of a hook in the appctizing appearance
There were bends i'll the river where the gger-
rillaS could lie concealed until the boat was
within close gunShot, and Were able TO send
in half dozen Volleys before the imperiled
craft could get out of range one day be
tween Memphis and Cairo, the Hillman was
proceeding leisurelv up the river without any
suspicion of danger. 4 passenger was seated
in the BARRIERS chair being shaved, when a
cannon suddenly opened on the boat. The
first hall killed the barber and passed on
without in the least interfering with the Gus
toner
PASSENGERS UNDER FIRE.
On such occasions there was little to be
obtained in the shape Of provision for safety.
Everything about a steamer was 50 frail that
in place Of being protection the upper struCt-
ure really added to the danger from the flying
SplinterS. About the only thing available
was IN lie IA, on the floor with the head or
feet toward the direction of fire as to eX-
pose the smallest possible portion of the form
ia the missiles of tb. crps While lying there
the roar of the artillery, the yels of the Con
,,jsr,+,S tho crash of tha sbn, tbrnucb tba
wnnIyyorL the nois. of tearing timber the
mom.ntsrv exnertation of being skawered hv
81 long snIint.r or being bored througb longi-
trj,uorIy with =, round shot we're ANYTHING
Lu, uIraSau, II seemed To tb. noss.ancer
hpge-ino the floor and irving IN mail. him
ssIf into comnass not I,rrcr than =, knitting
,.II, tho, tho Ioa, was mn at.,,,itv in .-at,iney
a,,ov sr,u, tn. lncaIi,v II, ,ime vbaD
tba svifrest boat on the river snnar.rtlv
made no better time than that of the sInwest
,f snaiIs
Ro,ts ,Iv;p,- on the river wer, suhiec. .o
vi-i,.,iop sr every wool ward TIN, officers
,r,,e,.,,d ,bas, visits and nrap,rad for them
They wopld leave a few hundred dollars in
the saf. for show. and the remainder of the
money they would hide in the mattresses,
When boarded by puerrillas they would omen
th. safe after a little perS,asion and the
robbers woula take the cash contents satisfied
that they had secured NIL the. available plun-
der Mary of the boats were captained by
Cnnfaierstes- a fact which was known TO the
bu, .,whackers with the result that such boats
,v,.,. po, distrrl,.i or yy.r. occasionally halted
and searched as a matter of show for the lene-
fir of the galleries
recall one instance in which the robbery
WAS on the other side The Platte Valley
WAS ,,nhveying a company of new troOlS
down the river when. Mt a point between
tn ,-,t some wood There lived in a little log
bnuse at the point a widow with four sons.
fof whom were in the Union army, with the
autir. Sympathv of the mother. The valorous
rpcruit: syyarmed ashore and went through
tba pr.mises of the old lady in a brief time,
Everv chicken erg. bit Of meat. everything
ajible iurludinr pirs and calves. and any
tbipg and .verything in the houSe which
attracted the fancy of tb, raiders and which
Do,rld IN. eaten or sent home rs n IrOuhy WAS
yolbl.,i mn and carried on the boat
vr,v Coyv,vnrp
1,ho .,,,a;,, rf ,b, ,o,,ror,- ,r;s, hi H..
p, ,,,s+r,ir III. ,,,au but vb;Io yau ip..r-
tiona5 bo ras weak ua xyas from IN. saua
l,,.aI;,,- nc his mos, and many of them coIlad
- d., hi; e. ,,o,,,,, ;rs,ood -, hi ,i,l. ara
a,,,,,,,,,,I,- bod ,,, r,s,.,,., for him
n, ,,,,i,.ors of ,b, toot ofr.r.d sr,b ob;oc
tions a. tLav dared and the old lady s,ormed
49,, a,,a,,e,I bor Tninn sentiments and os
=, tba, ,bis foe, and that sb. lad fn,r
so,s IN the I-pior, army .bonld proteCt her
60, ,,,i,, b,. ,ha ror,bo,-, ,,,,,, I. yr.s oil
nsoI.ss Tba mon Iaughad ,t her and scoffeJ
=, d. ,Ia;,, ,b., en-, xyas a Urinr y,om,,
tn, -, No. ob,,,, ,,,,s, off ,be EreS and
.ba ola Iad,- ,,.s ro,p,t,u,Iv bei,, forced
-, tbo ,raro,,Iort ,yban s,d5anIy a ,Iasr |
- - hsarsi -, ,L, ,.,ar,o,.
.r,,,a;, form, ,-o,,, MAJ, -, l;rar-
Inc VOICE was c'eal' lthe'i "'ins' anu niien
WIN hhl'ia'i'e s"Ss'S'i'is' inrie vas
luich ctS>i'ioh VI .uo ut'u" tos